


Save The World

by BridgetMcKennitt



Category: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Genre: F/M, Second Chances, Superheroes, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-25
Updated: 2012-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-22 08:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/607879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgetMcKennitt/pseuds/BridgetMcKennitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes there's a second chance within a second chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Save The World

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kaesa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaesa/gifts).



Since it was a spark of something magical that brought her back to life, Penny decided that her superhero name would be Spark. Not that becoming a superhero was her first priority when she came back to life (her first priority was freaking out that she had died and now wasn't dead), but it was a option that was sorely looking good with each passing day.

Captain Hammer was as good as retired and the Evil League of Evil was running amok across the city and country. The little good she did as Penny was overshadowed when a League member destroyed whatever she was working on, whether it was a soup kitchen or a collection of clothing for the homeless. She wanted to make a dent in the world and if becoming a superhero was the only option left to her, Penny thought it wouldn't be so bad. She would be doing good, instant good, and she wouldn't be an asshole about being a superhero. It wasn't about the publicity but the deed.

That settled it.

Penny found someone through her small connections who could tailor her an outfit. It didn't need to be something fancy, but she was terrible when it came to sewing. Her fifth grade assignment in Home Ec and her bandaged fingers could testify. It took about two weeks for her costume to be finished, but once it was, Penny fell in love.

There was a red mask that covered half of her face. The rest of her costume was a mixture of red, white, and blue with a blue top, red flared skirt, and white leggings. Her knee high boots and gloves were also red and on her shirt was an image of a white spark.

Penny looked down at her hands and concentrated. Soon there was white sparks dancing between her fingertips. "I am the spark. I am the spark," she murmured to herself.

She was ready.

***

The first thing she did as the Spark was to buy a police scanner so she could find out where crime was taking place. The second thing was to patrol the city.

Penny never realized how much energy she had since her resurrection until she could leap from building top to building top without breaking a sweat. In fact, the _fact_ that she could leap from building top to building top was pretty amazing. That was certainly an impossible feat before she had died.

The scanner attached to her wrist (something else she got made from her connections) came to life and Penny listened as the dispatcher reported a robbery in process at a jewelry store not that far away from her. Penny took in a deep breath before running towards that location. This was her first bad guy and she was going to be amazing.

She was the spark.

***

She was flabbergasted at who was robbing the jewelry store. It was the guy from the laundromat, the one that she had sort of a crush on, the one who revealed himself to be Dr. Horrible. She shouldn't feel anything towards him because he was the reason she had died in the first place, him and Captain Hammer, but she could only remember how he was sometimes sweet to her when they did their laundry together.

Penny shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her feelings regarding Dr. Horrible was not the point. He was committing a crime and she needed to stop him.

She charged up, letting her spark surround her like a force field and jumped down. She kicked open the door, mentally pleased that it opened with the force of her kick, and strode inside.

Dr. Horrible's henchman was stuffing jewelry into the bag he was carrying while he stood around with a gun. Spark placed her hands on her hips.

"Hold it right there, Dr. Horrible!" Dr. Horrible turned towards her so fast, she winced at the whiplash. "Step away from the jewelry and put your weapon down."

"Penny?" he said, with a twinge of regret and yearning in his voice, and Penny forced herself to not care. He was a villain and she was a superhero. The days when they were normal people doing their laundry in a laundromat was another lifetime.

"My name is Spark and I will use force on you if I have to repeat myself." She raised her hand and sparks danced between her fingers.

Dr. Horrible let out a choked laugh and stepped towards her. "Penny, you're alive! I thought you died. You _did_ die in front of my eyes. I'm so sorry."

She scowled and shot a warning spark a foot in front of Dr. Horrible's feet so he wouldn't step closer. "Stay right there, Dr. Horrible. The next time I will use it on you."

His face crumpled and she wanted to comfort him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"But you did mean to kill Captain Hammer and he's a superhero. Was," she said, amending her statement. "Just because I was an innocent bystander doesn't mean you didn't hurt me. Did hurt me. Killed me, in fact."

"You're alive. But how?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "There was a spark of life in me that wouldn't let me die."

"So you decided to use that spark to fight crime?"

"Yes." She narrowed her eyes. "I fight people like you, so either you back away from the jewelry or I am going to take you on and when I am done, I am throwing you in jail."

Dr. Horrible turned to his henchman and nodded his head. The henchman looked confused but dropped his bag. He turned back to her and spread his hands. "I'm stepping away for now, but don't think this is over. We have unfinished business."

She snorted and watched them leave before taking in a ragged breath. She did it, she actually did it.

Penny waited for the police to arrive before explaining who she was and how she stopped the criminal, though he managed to escape. She saluted them and leaped onto a nearby roof top.

***

The next few weeks were strange. The city was aware there was a new superhero taking over Captain Hero's place and they were thrilled to have her. Penny half suspected there was a fanclub in her honor, but she didn't care. She did care though about stopping crime and saving the day. To her surprise, she was surprisingly good at being a superhero.

She didn't see or hear Dr. Horrible during that time span, however. She half hoped she would see him and half hoped she wouldn't, and she wasn't sure whether or not to feel relieved that he had been lying low. He was a criminal, but he was also Billy.

There was a call about a disturbance in the park and Penny went. It would be a good distraction from her thoughts.

Except when she arrived at the park, there was only Billy. He wasn't even in his Dr. Horrible costume. Penny was confused and angry for some reason. She got into a fighting stance and scowled at him.

"What is your game plan here, Dr. Horrible?"

"Nothing." He raised his hands in surrender. "I just wanted to talk to you. I quit the Evil League of Evil. They're pissed, but I don't care."

"So what? Do you want a reward for that?" She let her spark surround her, just in case he planned on making a move. She wasn't going to let him surprise him like he did in another lifetime.

He shook his head. "No. I just want a second chance with you. I know I messed up, big time, but if you can get a second chance at life, I hope that means I can get a second chance with you."

Penny didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected Billy to ever say something like that to her, or anything at all. He was always so shy around her, but to be fair, she had been shy around him, too. She looked away. What she really needed to do was haul him into the nearest police station.

Instead she sighed and dropped her spark. "I don't trust you," she said. "I like you, but you hurt me in the worst way, hurt me like Captain Hammer hurt me, and I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that."

Billy looked pained but he flailed his arms about. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please give me another chance!"

"You're still Dr. Horrible and I'm a superhero. What chance is there against those odds?"

He smiled a little though it was still sad. "If Catwoman and Batman can do it, I'm sure we could work something out."

Penny laughed, really laughed, like she hadn't for months. "We'll see," she said finally. "I don't know who I am in that comparison, but we'll see."

Before she could give into her urge to hug Billy and maybe even kiss him, she ran away. If Billy was willing to work things out, maybe there was hope for them after all. Hope and lots of counseling.


End file.
